Gamecocks defeat Missouri 8-2 in series opener

COLUMBIA, SC – South Carolina junior left-hander Jordan
Montgomery worked into the ninth inning and seven of nine Gamecock starters
tallied at least one hit as the 11th ranked Gamecocks defeated Missouri 8-2 on
Friday evening in the series opener at Carolina Stadium. South Carolina improves to 37-13 and 14-11 in
the SEC with Missouri dropping to 20-28 and 6-19 in league play.

Montgomery improved to 7-4 on the year with the win. He allowed two runs on five hits in 8.1
innings of work with a walk and eight strikeouts. Missouri starter Brett Graves suffered the
loss and is now 3-5 on the year. He
allowed eight runs, six earned, on 11 hits in 4.2 innings with three walks and
six strikeouts.

South Carolina's 12-hit evening included three-hit games
from Max Schrock and Joey Pankake.
Grayson Greiner added two hits.
Josh Lester was 2-for-3 with two runs to lead Missouri.

Schrock would put the Gamecocks ahead 1-0 in the bottom
of the second inning with a RBI single.
Gene Cone led off the frame with a walk and Marcus Mooney was hit by a
pitch with one out to give the Gamecocks a pair of runners. Schrock would drive the first pitch from
Graves into right field for a base hit scoring Cone.

Missouri answered with a run in the top of the third to
tie the game. Josh Lester led off with a
base hit, stole second base and scored on Dylan Kelly's one-out RBI single up
the middle.

Carolina would come back with three runs in the bottom of
the fourth to take a 4-1 lead. Greiner
led off with a single and Pankake followed with a base hit to give the
Gamecocks a pair of runners. Tanner
English would then set down a perfect bunt for a base hit. On the play, Graves attempted to throw out
English but his throw sailed into right field allowing Greiner to score. DC Arendas would tally a RBI base hit to
score Pankake and a double steal would eventually score English.

That lead extended to 8-1 in the fifth inning with the
Gamecocks scoring four more runs with Greiner driving a run in with a double
and Gene Cone with the big hit of the inning, a three-run double to clear the
bases. Missouri scored its final run in
the ninth inning.

The series continues on Saturday at 3:15 p.m. The game will be televised on SportSouth and
can be heard on the Gamecock IMG Network including flagship station, 107.5 FM,
"The Game."

Saturday is Senior Day with
Senior Day festivities beginning at 3:03 p.m.

South Carolina's Chris Lammons breaks up what would have been the game-winning touchdown as Tennessee's Brandon Johnson can't make the catch during fourth-quarter action in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017. (Travis Bell/SIDELINE CAROLINA)

Will Muschamp left his emotions on the field in the final seconds of Saturday's thrilling 15-9 win at Tennessee.

Nick Fitzgerald had a hand in four touchdowns to lead Mississippi State to 35-10 victory over BYU on Saturday. Mississippi State (4-2) returned to form offensively after a bye week and two straight blowout losses on the road to ranked opponents.

Nick Fitzgerald had a hand in four touchdowns to lead Mississippi State to 35-10 victory over BYU on Saturday. Mississippi State (4-2) returned to form offensively after a bye week and two straight blowout losses on the road to ranked opponents.